A group effort: Baptist Men build ramp for woman with arthritis
Nov. 24—MARSTON — A local group with the North Carolina Baptist Men spent their Saturday morning building a ramp for a woman who is facing a future with worsening arthritis which will make climbing stairs a hazard.
Debbie Burson and her family moved to Marston from outside Las Vegas, Nevada about 3 months ago. Burson is in the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis, which is caused by the body's immune system attacking joints and muscles, and said her doctor told her it will begin to worsen in the coming years. She and her family wanted to be proactive about preparing her home for when her mobility begins to decline significantly.
Burson heard from a neighbor, Jesse Jackson, about the Baptist Men's work to build ramps for free for those in need, and reached out through a man named Marshall who works at the nearby dump. The group of nine men, who each have long track records in various areas of construction, completed the ramp in under five hours — longer than normal because it had the curve multiple times to accommodate the length.
"It's awesome, we're from Nevada and we didn't have anything like [the Baptist Men] out there," Burson said.
The ramp is 52 feet long because the home's exit is 52 inches off the ground, and code requires the ramp to decrease an inch in height with every foot it is long. Burson's 12-year-old grandson, Devin Sanders, fell from the house's staircase the week prior, sending him to the hospital with a cracked rib.
"It's a mile walk but I love it!" Burson said as she walked around the ramp's bend to get from the porch to the backyard.
The ramp for Burson was the 54th the Baptist Men have done so far this year. They typically do between 50 and 70 per year. The local Department of Social Services, along with local churches and the Lumber River Council of Governments refer those in need to the Baptist Men, but they can also be reached directly by calling 910-895-5282.
The Baptist Men are one of Lowe's best customers, so pro sales specialists Shane Ward and Shaun Sullivan, along with Jesse Whittaker, the pro service and lumber supervisor, to drop off some pizzas and drinks for the volunteers. Ward and Sullivan said the Baptist Men order huge loads of lumber about 2 — 3 times per week.
"We just wanted to recognize them for what they do," Ward said.
All of the Baptist Men — Patrick Lavin, Don Walker, Lacy Shepherd, Frank Stooksbury, Garry Davis, Joe Walls, Elbert Shepherd, Carter Shepherd, and Dennis Holloway — signed a Bible that Holloway presented to Burson and her family. They all then prayed together before breaking for lunch.
"These men came out today to give their Saturday for you, and do you know why they did that?" Holloway asked Burson. "Because God told them to."
Whittaker added that the work the Baptist Men do is "fantastic."
"We'll do whatever we can for this," he said.
